U2 singer Bono has said that he hopes his music will last for 100 years. I think Bono himself will have to last for 100 years if he wants to see the Liberals keep the commitment they keep making over and over again. In fact, they now will not even make a commitment to 0.7% of GDP for overseas development assistance, unlike many of the other more progressive countries in the world.

I want to ask the Minister of Human Resources, who is throwing a reception for Bono, how the Liberals even have the nerve to hang out with the guy when they are so distant from what he wants of them.

Mr. Speaker, let me just make a point, which the Minister of International Development has pointed out. In the last budget there was an increase of $3.4 billion, which will serve to double Canadian aid to Africa over the next two years and double Canadian aid, generally, around the world between now and the year 2011.

In the meantime, we are also investing $342 million in special measures in relation to diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS and others. We are putting $500 million into global peace and security that is being used in places like the Sudan and Darfur.

Mr. Speaker, these alleged increases come on the heels of the Liberals having gutted these programs in the first place, but the minister never acknowledges that.

He mentioned AIDS. I wonder if the minister or someone else could explain, why, in spite of all the hoopla about the Jean Chrétien AIDS in Africa bill, not one single pill has been delivered to Africa. People are dying every day and the pretense that the Liberals have actually done something about this continues.

Why do they allow that pretense to continue? Why do they not fess up and say that it was a fraud and nothing has happened?

Mr. Speaker, it was not indeed a fraud. As a matter of fact, as I made mention in my earlier answer, $342 million is going into the relief of diseases in Africa, specifically including AIDS.

I would also point out to the hon. gentleman that one particular area where Canada has been especially active is in the alleviation of the debts of the most heavily indebted poor countries of the world. We have put the better part of $4 billion to $5 billion into that over the last number of years. Canada was not a johnny-come-lately on that file. We were indeed the very first and we led the world.

Mr. Speaker, we could describe the Liberals' billion-dollar-a-day spending spree in a lot of ways: pathetic, pork-barrel and desperation come to mind, but we cannot say it is secretive. There is nothing hidden about this agenda. It is pure old-fashioned vote-buying.

Maybe there is one thing they are hiding and that is David Dingwall's severance. We understand that David Dingwall has now negotiated his severance deal in anticipation of a change in government.

Since the government is so very open about its spending, perhaps it could assure Canadians today that the amount of money it is paying David Dingwall will be made public.

Mr. Speaker, there was a very telling news report last night on one of the national networks that reviewed a number of the announcements that the government has made: labour market partnership agreements, new military equipment, help for farmers, help for softwood lumber, help for senior citizens, residential fuel, aboriginals and so forth. The reporter pointed out that the member's party, which criticizes the government every day in the House, has made not one commitment to retract any one of those investments that the Government of Canada has made.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians will note the evasiveness of the minister's answer and the fact that he absolutely avoided answering the question. Also, they will note the fact that before every election Liberals pretend to care about Canadians and after every election they only care about Liberals.

They gave David Dingwall a big, fat patronage post, they let him spend like a drunken Liberal and now they are proposing to pour even more money into the trough that Dingwall eats from, a public trough.

If the Liberals are going to do that, they should at least have the decency to be public, honest and forthright about what they are going to pay him in severance.

Can Canadians finally hear a commitment from the government as to how much--

Mr. Speaker, when Canadians owe the government money, it pursues them relentlessly. When law-abiding citizens are caught up in some tax dispute, the Canada Revenue Agency will hound and threaten them until every last cent is paid. In many cases, they will be sued for any amounts owing, plus interest, plus costs.

However, when the Liberal Party actually steals taxpayer money and gets caught red-handed, the government does nothing. Why the double standard?

When will the government sue the Liberal Party to recover the millions of taxpayer dollars that are still missing?

Walt LastewkaLiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services

Mr. Speaker, I am sure everyone has known right from the beginning that when Gomery did his work he worked hard to get it done. In January the opposition and other people insisted that Gomery do his work. Gomery has done his work. Gomery has reported. The Liberal Party of Canada has acted. The opposition knows that we acted as soon as Gomery made his report. We look forward to Gomery's second report.

On the eve of the next general election, Canadians are entitled to know whether the Liberals are preparing to conduct a fourth campaign with dirty money. Eighteen riding associations in eastern Quebec received dirty money during the 1997 election campaign.

When will the Liberals put an end to the culture of secrecy and publish the list of those 18 associations that violated the law by accepting dirty money?

Mr. Speaker, the ministers of this government are confused. The Minister of Transport is confirming the commitment of the $20 million taken from forestry associations and says that the government's word is as good as gold. However, the minister responsible for regional development is saying that only the loan guarantees are included in the $1.5 billion aid package for the softwood lumber industry announced earlier this week.

Can the government tell us if the $20 million will be allocated, yes or no?

Jacques SaadaLiberalMinister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Minister responsible for the Francophonie

Mr. Speaker, there were two major aspects to yesterday's package. The first is the $800 million in credit insurance. These funds can by quickly freed up because legislation on industry allows this.

As for the other amounts, Parliament must decide. It is not my fault that the opposition is in such a rush to go to the polls it prefers to put partisan interests before the interests of the public, which is waiting for these funds.

Mr. Speaker, there is widespread confusion and there are contradictions galore. The minister is saying the opposite of what the Minister of Transport said yesterday. I think I will trust what the senior minister said. Whatever the case may be, the aid package is clearly insufficient.

Does the minister realize that the $800 million in loan guarantees over five years is only 16% of the $5 billion the industry has already paid in countervailing and anti-dumping duties to the U.S. government? Will anything be added to this insufficient package?

Jacques SaadaLiberalMinister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Minister responsible for the Francophonie

Mr. Speaker, barely a few days ago in the House, the Prime Minister was extremely clear. The goal is to tell our American friends that we will support our industry and our workers despite the absolutely unacceptable measures imposed on them by the Americans. We will stand by them no matter what, even if it means increasing what we are currently offering them. This is clear. This question follows on the answer already provided.

I must say that the opposition, in its rush to the polls, is preventing us from voting the supplementary estimates, which include the $20 million in aid to help the industry cover its legal costs. They should not try to suck and blow at the same time.

Mr. Speaker, for three days the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness has been unable to answer a simple question about whether or not prison planes landed on Canadian soil.

Here is a very simple question for her. Can she confirm that a Kyrgyzstan airlines DC-9, registration number N822US, identified as a U.S. prison plane, landed in Frobisher Bay on December 7, 2002, in Goose Bay on March 12, 2005, and again in Goose Bay on June 1, 2005?

Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister has answered that question. We have no reliable information proving that the United States is conducting activities in Canada that are in breach of Canadian or international law.

As I myself said in this House, if we find out that Canadian territory is being used in contravention of Canadian or international law, we will of course raise the issue with the United States. Canada expects its territory, including its air space, not to be used by foreign governments for activities that are in breach of Canadian or international law.

We have no reliable information to support the suspicions the Bloc Québécois is trying to stir up once again. There is no reliable information to confirm that Canadian air space was used in breach of Canadian or international law.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal health record is abysmal. After 12 years of mismanagement, wait times have doubled. The government cut $25 billion from the health care system and cut medical school enrollments.

The Quebec federal Liberals have endorsed privately funded health care. Too many Canadians have no access to the health care system.

The Supreme Court has condemned the Liberal record. We still have no science based benchmarks, despite promises that they would be in place by year's end. It is just one broken promise after the other.

Will the government finally admit that only a new Conservative government will fix the Liberal health care disaster?